The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-25
THREE SCORE OF YEARS.
THE BAPTIST SUNDAY SCHOOLS
SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY.

plished Last Year-Dr. Lathrop's Ad-
dress-The First Sunday School in
Savannah.
The Sunday school of the Savannah Bap-
tist church celebrated last night the compile
ton of three score years of life. Paradox
cal as it sounds, the Sunday school seems to
grow younger as it grows older. In other
words it is year by year increasing its roll
and becoming more vigorous. Last night
the church was thronged.
The floral decorations were exquisite and
filed the auditorium with a sweet odor.
The principal design was a bank of moss on
the platform. A beautiful cross Of white
roses, anchors, wreaths and stars studded
the bank, which was surmounted by a
crown. At the base of the bank were the
numerals $50" in red roses. Beautiful Gala
lilies, baskets of fragrant roses and pretty
grasses adorned the front of the pulpit, and
other baskets of moss and flowers were sus-
pended from the chandeliers.
After two hymns by tie school, the in
FAINT class sang and then followed reading of
the Scriptures. Mr. c. w West, the super
intendent, in his report said:
children, flowers, music, each one so
fully represented here tonight, and all to-
gether, forming a text from which to draw
thoughts ana suggestions appropriate to
this pleasant occasion. As we complete an
other decade we very naturally take views
d prospective and retrospective, as a
tier has lngenlously expressed it:
1--WE sit in the swing Of thought
And gently to and fro,
Swing first to the future,
Down to the now: then
Back to the long ago"
Contrasting the present flourishing con-
dition of the Sunday school throughout the
world with its feeble beginning, What pros
perity may we not expect in the future,
While the Sunday school is not intended to
take the place of home religious instruction,
yet many children receive their only reli-
pious training by it. This but increases
its responsibility.
'SOme of the most thoughtful students
and authors of the day have recently called
attention to dangers which threaten our
country; those to which the generation now
passing away may not be exposed, but to
which those who are now children in Our
schools may be subjected Emigration from
Europe to this country has regularly and
largely increased, and now flows through
this Eastern section like a mighty river to
the great West, where it empties itself In
fidelity in its many forms is brought here
by those who come TO make this their future
hone-by actions and teachings also they
foster disregard for the Sabbath, a tenden-
cy to make il a day fOcrecreation giving to
apart for worship.
Flow can we best guard against this spread
ing OF errorf As members of Sunday schools,
think our duty is plain We should teach
those who are entrusted to us that the only
safe course is to stand by the old Bible land
marks, to be clothed with Christian aI1nor,
protected by the shield of faith and armed
with the sword of the Spirit.
Our minutes show the present number of
Dur school to be: Officers and teachers, SO;
scholars, 140; Bible classes %; primary
department, 109-total, 305.
''Our collections amount to, in school and
+. Bible classes, 5l52 Sc; in primary department,
Sl26 81 Making total of S272 9S
THE disbursements We're: School expenses,
500; Bible and Publication Society, S12:
Home missions, S12; foreign missions, $50;
poor scholars, clothing, etc, $50 Total,
S204
''The primary department, in charge of
Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Wray regularly carries
on a missionary and benevolent work, rails
ing funds both for home and foreign use,
and contributing largely to the wants of
thelr own needy members.
with pleasure do we regard that twenty
scholars have within the year past united
with the church Our sessions have been
held without interruption; the punctuality
OF the teachers has caused like promptness on
the part OF the classes, and to the regularity
of both it is my pleasant duty to also say
always observed during the ten years that
| have served as your superintendent.
1T is pleasant to observe the kind regard
and loving attachment of even the smallest
scholars to our pastor, who is always at
home in any part OF the school Nav the
love Of the beautiful in nature, as with each
returning spring the flowers come to point
us to their Creator and ours cause our
hearts to beat in sympathy with those who
sing tonight, aud our voices to join in songs
of alteration and love to Him who sends
these blessings and accepts the tributes of
praise in which voices give expression to the
Feelings of our hearts"
The song "He win Hear and Answer
Prayer" was followed by an interesting ad-
dress by Rev. DR.. Lathrop, who is filling
DR.. Holmes pulpit while he is away. DR..
I4athrop i'll his address slyetched the origin
and growth of Sunday schools in Savannah
The first one, he said, that was organized in
this city was known as the Union Sunday
school and it met in the old Solomon's Lodge
building That was in 1915. 1t was started
by members of the different evangelical
churches in Savannah, and was conducted
at first by Rev. George White, member of
the Methodist church at that time but later
an Episcopalan.
In those days Sunday schools were impor-
tant factors IN the education of the boys and
girls. The speaker mentioned the names of
several OF the active members of the old
Sunday school, among them being Josiah
Penfeld, Joseph Cummins and Charles Me
Intyre. From that Sunday school sprang
the Yamacraw Sunday school, led mainly
by members of the Baptist church Tie
Savannah Baptist Sunday school was or
ganized in 1921, on the site of the present
First African Baptist church. Rev. Robert
Brown, pastor of the church, was at its
head
In those days there were no libraries of
consequence, and the children were required
b. commit passages from Scripture, Il
practice which the speaker commended TO
the teachers present
The pleasant exercises concluded with the
hymn, "The Golden Land" and the benedic-
ton.
THE CALHOUN FAMILY.
s.i,-a.l, 1nrt.. trrat1 rrriA.. 81. IL.